&8220;We used to laugh about these guys amongst ourselves but the situation&8217;s so bad, we had to act,&8221; says Olshansky, who wrote a companion essay in Scientific American&8217;s June issue with Bruce A. Carnes, a University of Chicago scientist, and Leonard Hayflick, professor of anatomy at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.

In a display of unity rare in scientific circles, researchers set aside professional differences to draft a strong warning:

&8220;Our language on this matter must be unambiguous: there are no lifestyle changes, surgical procedures, vitamins, antioxidants, hormones or techniques of genetic engineering available today that have been demonstrated to influence the processes of aging. We strongly urge the general public to avoid buying or using products or other interventions from anyone claiming that they will slow, stop or reverse aging.&8221;

&8220;We are quite distressed,&8221; says Robert N. Butler, M.D., head of the International Longevity Center-USA and founding director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA). &8220;There&8217;s a nonscientific experiment going on around the country with people taking these substances without any way to monitor the dangers or side effects. It&8217;s like a giant clinical trial without dummy pills, testing or, more importantly, any outcome studies.&8221;

The real science of aging, the researchers say, holds the promise of exciting discoveries that may someday modify the aging process.

&8220;We&8217;ve actually succeeded in extending the life span of some model organisms,&8221; Olshansky tells the AARP Bulletin. &8220;That&8217;s the first time scientists can make that claim.&8221;

These legitimate efforts could suffer if the public believes the claims that anti-aging medicines already exist.

Mainstream scientists agree that aging is not a &8220;disease&8221; that can be &8220;cured&8221; by ultimate antioxidant pills, enema regimens, hormone shots or an infusion therapy called chelation.

Dr. Marvin Copes is an Education/Community Service Volunteer for AARP Alabama in Maylene. He can be reached by e-mail at mailto:mlcopes@charter.net